Increasing Returns

Ideas are nonrival, so increasing returns to scale is an essential feature of technological change in a market economy.

Responses weighted by each expert's confidence

Participant University Vote Confidence Bio/Vote History
Allen
Franklin Allen
Imperial College London
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
Not exactly sure what the question is suggesting.
Antras
Pol Antras
Harvard
Uncertain
2
Bio/Vote History
The fact that ideas are nonrival points to aggregate increasing returns to scale in the production of goods (not in technical change)
Besley
Timothy J. Besley
LSE Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Blanchard
Olivier Blanchard
Peterson Institute
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Bloom
Nicholas Bloom
Stanford
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Key idea in modern economics
Blundell
Richard William Blundell
University College London Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Bénassy-Quéré
Agnès Bénassy-Quéré
Paris School of Economics
Uncertain
1
Bio/Vote History
I am not sure this is just due to ideas being non-rival.
Carletti
Elena Carletti
Bocconi
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History
Danthine
Jean-Pierre Danthine
Paris School of Economics Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
De Grauwe
Paul De Grauwe
LSE
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Eeckhout
Jan Eeckhout
UPF Barcelona
Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
Fehr
Ernst Fehr
Universität Zurich
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Freixas
Xavier Freixas
Barcelona GSE
Strongly Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Fuchs-Schündeln
Nicola Fuchs-Schündeln
Goethe-Universität Frankfurt Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Galí
Jordi Galí
Barcelona GSE
Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
Garicano
Luis Garicano
LSE Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Giavazzi
Francesco Giavazzi
Bocconi
Uncertain
10
Bio/Vote History
Griffith
Rachel Griffith
University of Manchester
Strongly Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
Guerrieri
Veronica Guerrieri
Chicago Booth
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Guiso
Luigi Guiso
Einaudi Institute for Economics and Finance Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Honohan
Patrick Honohan
Trinity College Dublin
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History
The premise is OK but the inference seems too vaguely sweeping...
Javorcik
Beata Javorcik
University of Oxford
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Kleven
Henrik Kleven
Princeton Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Krahnen
Jan Pieter Krahnen
Goethe University Frankfurt
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
Krusell
Per Krusell
Stockholm University
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
For motivation, see the brilliant document provided by the prize committee! :-) IRS also requires at least CRS in non-idea inputs.
Kőszegi
Botond Kőszegi
Central European University
Disagree
3
Bio/Vote History
La Ferrara
Eliana La Ferrara
Harvard Kennedy Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Leuz
Christian Leuz
Chicago Booth
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Non-rivalry gives rise to increasing returns to scale; most ideas are non-rival (unless protected) and central to technological change.
Mayer
Thierry Mayer
Sciences-Po
Strongly Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
Meghir
Costas Meghir
Yale Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Neary
Peter Neary
Oxford
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Ideas can be protected, and imitation is costly, but the statement is broadly correct, with huge implications for R&D and antitrust policy
-see background information here
-see background information here
O'Rourke
Kevin O'Rourke
Oxford Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Pagano
Marco Pagano
Università di Napoli Federico II
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Pastor
Lubos Pastor
Chicago Booth Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Persson
Torsten Persson
Stockholm University Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Pissarides
Christopher Pissarides
London School of Economics and Political Science Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Portes
Richard Portes
London Business School
Strongly Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Prendergast
Canice Prendergast
Chicago Booth
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Reichlin
Lucrezia Reichlin
London Business School
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Repullo
Rafael Repullo
CEMFI
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Rey
Hélène Rey
London Business School Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Schoar
Antoinette Schoar
MIT
Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
Sturm
Daniel Sturm
London School of Economics
Strongly Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Van Reenen
John Van Reenen
LSE
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Ideas are non-rival hence do not get constant returns to scale at macro-level because standard replication argument breaks down.
-see background information here
Vickers
John Vickers
Oxford
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Assuming the question means increasing returns in production of output (as distinct from production of new technologies)
Voth
Hans-Joachim Voth
University of Zurich
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Weder di Mauro
Beatrice Weder di Mauro
The Graduate Institute, Geneva Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Whelan
Karl Whelan
University College Dublin
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
Nonrivalry of ideas is important for growth and means there are positive externalities to research. Does not have to mean economy-wide IRS.
Wyplosz
Charles Wyplosz
The Graduate Institute Geneva
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Zilibotti
Fabrizio Zilibotti
Yale University
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History